Evolving Heart
by KogasMySexyBeast
Summary: Fourteen year old Selena Stone wants to be a Pokemon trainer like her brother. The only problem is her parents won't let her leave her hometown. What can her best friend Seth do to change this? OCXOC Some PokeShipping Please Review!
1. Chapter 1 Selena's New Beginning

**A/N: I finally posted this! It's been seething in my computer for weeks. I hope you enjoy!**

_Meet Selena Stone, age thirteen. Long, light brown hair, green eyes and a taste for trouble. Born and raised in Cerulean City, Selena longs to leave and go on an adventure like most kids her age were doing. Her older brother and only sibling, Joshua Stone, left five years ago for the Pokémon League after defeating Misty, the local gym leader._

_After claiming the badge and prize money, Josh told his parents he wanted to venture out into the world so he could find his calling. Their mother and father supported his decision without hesitation._

_Now, only a week shy from thirteen, Selena is more than ready to make the same trip her brother did and find an adventure of her own…_

"But mom!" Selena whined.

"Josh got to leave at eleven, I'm almost fourteen and you won't even let me leave town without an adult!" Selena's mom, Crystal, sighed in exasperation.

"Josh was far more responsible than you are; even now you still forget to clean the bike racks like your father tells you to. And besides, you're not fourteen until next Thursday, so stop all this nonsense about leaving and eat your breakfast."

Selena huffed; it was the third time this week she tried to convince her mother, the more stubborn of her parents, and she got the same lecture every time. Her father was always at work in the local bike shop, so everything had to be approved by mom.

'_I see no difference between me leaving and Josh leaving…'_ Selena thought miserably, angrily taking a bite out of her toast.

After breakfast, Selena went back up the stairs into her room to change. She threw on her black and red plaid shirt with the metal rings she liked, a red tank top and the black short sleeve jacket her grandmother had gotten her last year. Selena thanked God her grandma had good taste.

She grabbed her blue backpack and some money she had saved. While no one in the family knew where her brother actually was, he sent them letters every month or so to tell them all how he's been.

To Selena, he sent a letter every two weeks, always including some money or a gift or two from wherever he was at the time. She had a total of about 4500 yen now and was planning on buying some Pokèballs, even if she wasn't allowed to leave, her parents never said anything about catching a Pokémon of her own.

Selena ran full tilt down the stairs, almost colliding with her mother.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Crystal asked, eyeing her daughter suspiciously. Selena running that quickly never meant good things.

"I'm going to go hang out with Seth," Selena said instantly.

"He's going to take me out to the field so I can watch him catch Pokémon. Maybe I can finally get my own…"

'_Yeah right, if I had my own Pokémon to battle with in the first place…'_ Selena thought. Crystal smiled.

"Well you two have fun then, and stop by Mr. Spencer's house before you go out to the field, I heard he had a surprise for you."

Selena slid past her mom, nodding as she went. After pulling on her red sneakers, she set off for Mr. Spencer's house.

Mr. Spencer was an elderly man who ran a daycare and breeding center just outside of town, and being Selena's next-door neighbor, he often brought her to the center to play with the Pokémon.

The only thing he didn't like about his job was when people forgot to pick up their Pokémon. He always called them "Lazy Bums".

Mr. Spencer waved to Selena as she walked up the driveway. He was outside tending to his berry trees. He used the berries as a food source and medicine for the Pokémon he raised.

"Hi Mr. Spencer!" Selena called. Mr. Spencer stood, brushing his pants off before walking over to Selena.

"I'm guessing you heard I had a surprise for you," Mr. Spencer chuckled. Selena nodded slowly, not quite sure what to say. Mr. Spencer walked toward his house, motinoning for Selena to follow. The screen door creaked when it opened.

"I heard from your mother that you want to become a Pokémon trainer. Is that right?" He asked, leading her into the kitchen. Selena nodded silently, wishing she were far away on an adventure, just like her brother Josh.

Mr. Spencer smiled knowingly and left the room. He returned shortly with a small box. Selena's heart jumped when she saw the air holes in the sides.

'_A Pokémon?'_ she wondered, gazing at the box. Mr. Spencer chuckled at her expression and set the box on the table in front of her.

"Some lazy bum left the egg here and this is what hatched out of it". He smirked at the delighted look on Selena's face. Something scratched the inside of the box.

"Open it quickly before she decides to come out herself." Selena reached for the box slowly, undoing the red ribbon. She stuck this in her pocket before carefully lifting the lid, as to not scare the Pokémon inside.

A small head poked out of the box. Selena grinned.

"A Vulpix! I've always wanted one!" Selena stared at the Vulpix for a second. Her forehead wrinkled in thought before she turned to Mr. Spencer.

"Pix?" the Pokémon asked.

"I thought Vulpix were red and orange, this one's almost yellow." It was true; her new Vulpix sported a shiny golden orange coat instead of the usual flame red. Mr. Spencer nodded in agreement.

"That is true, most Vulpix do have a red coat, but this one's special." He winked.

"Just like you."

Selena turned back to her new Pokémon and smiled. The Vulpix stared back at her before losing interest and began cleaning its strange colored coat.

"I think I'll name you Foxfire," Selena said, addressing Vulpix.

"What do you think? It is going to be your name." Foxfire blinked for a moment before leaping out of the box and into Selena's waiting arms. Selena laughed gleefully, petting her new Pokémon.

"I guess you approve." Selena turned to Mr. Spencer.

"Thank you, I've wanted a Pokémon forever and I knew my parents wouldn't get me one. Thank you."

Mr. Spencer smiled and nodded.

"Go out and train your new Vulpix, I'm sure it would like some fresh air."

"Thank you again Mr. Spencer!" Selena called back, running out the door with Foxfire hot on her trail.

'_My first Pokémon! I can't wait to show Seth!'_ Selena thought happily. Seth's home was two streets down from hers and closer to the country. Selena had always envied Seth for his proximity to wild Pokémon.

Seth was waiting outside for her, wearing his usual black pants and white shirt. He had on a blue vest she had never seen before and a pair of matching fingerless gloves.

He had recently mussed up his usually neat black hair, much to Selena's displeasure. His first and only Pokémon, Bulbasaur stood beside him on the front lawn. Seth's jaw dropped when he saw Foxfire.

"A Pokémon! You finally got a Pokémon?" He exclaimed, pushing his slipping glasses up the bridge of his nose. Seth bent down to examine Foxfire.

"A Vulpix, huh? Why is it such a weird color?" Selena shrugged, slightly irritated as to her best friend calling her first Pokémon "weird" for any reason.

"Vul?" Foxfire asked.

"She's unique, Mr. Spencer gave her to me as a birthday present." Selena said a matter-of-factly. She bent down to look at Foxfire.

"Don't worry Foxfire, I like you no matter what color you are," Selena said, smiling. Her Vulpix tilted her head, examining her new trainer. Selena pulled the red ribbon from her pocket and tied it around Foxfire's neck like a collar. Foxfire attempted to look down at it before looking back at Selena.

"Now you have a little red on you, it shows your true heart as a Vulpix, even if you're not red on the outside." Selena explained. Foxfire nuzzled her hand before licking it. Seth watched the pair with fascination.

'_I forgot how much Selena cares for Pokémon and their feelings…it's pretty amazing…'_ Out loud he said, "That's pretty cool how you talk to Pokémon like that. I think you and your Vulpix will become best friends." Selena looked up at him in shock; he never said such mushy stuff.

"Just don't forget about me," Seth said, jabbing a thumb at his chest. His eyes widened in realization.

"Oh! I almost forgot…" Seth pulled his green travel bag off his back. He opened it and pulled a small metal box from it. The box was about seven inches by four inches and had a glossy blue gray sheen. On the top of the box was a black Pokèball. Curious as to its contents, Serena slid closer to Seth, peeking over his shoulder.

"Now," he said in a serious voice, pushing his glasses up his nose again, his golden brown eyes flashing. Seth wiggled his eyebrows at Selena.

The effect was very comical and sent Serena into a fit of giggles. Seth spun the box on his hand like a ball, sending a smug grin Selena's way.

"Showoff…" Selena muttered, letting Foxfire climb up on her shoulder. She shoved Seth playfully, trying to get the box from him. It shouldn't have been too difficult, seeing as Selena was three inches taller than him and more athletic.

But Seth was faster and kept it away from her just long enough to annoy her. Selena huffed, glaring at him and his box. Seth grinned triumphantly, mussing up his own hair for just to irk her.

"Here," he said, opening the box. Selena gasped. Inside lay a Cascade Badge, the reward for defeating the local gym.

"Beautiful isn't it? I won it just yesterday from Daisy; too bad Misty wasn't here though. Probably out with her boyfriend Ash…"

Selena had no time to argue that matter, even though it was their favorite subject to fight on.

Seth thought Ash Ketchum and Misty were an item while Selena thought they were just friends. The little blue badge glistening in the box was far more important than their usual bickering. She stared at it in silence, feeling betrayed.

"Me and Bulbasaur here battled her yesterday afternoon. I got these," He tugged at the vest and wiggled his fingers, showing off the gloves.

"With the prize money. I have just enough left to buy some supplies. Oh you should have seen the battle…"

Seth's voice faded into the background as all kinds of thoughts raced through Selena's head.

'_Does this mean… he's leaving? Just like Josh?'_ Selena sniffed.

Seth looked up his new badge, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Selena? Why are you crying?" he reached up, wiping away a tear she had shed unconsciously. Suddenly Selena was very angry.

"How could you?" She yelled, making Seth jump.

"Are you going to leave now? Leave me behind like my brother did? I have no one here to hang out with besides you…" Seth stared at her in shock. Selena no longer cared that she was crying.

"Selena, I-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Selena cut in. She scooped up Foxfire, petting her, then glared at Seth.

"Go off and have an adventure," she said viciously. Her voice quieted to barely above a whisper.

"I'll just stay here and rot!" With that, she whipped around, not even giving her best friend a chance to speak, and sped off toward home.

Seth stared at his friend's form, slowly getting smaller as she ran home. He sighed, looked down at his trusty Bulbasaur.

"Man, Bulbasaur, I didn't even get to give her the birthday present I bought her…" Seth reached in his bag and pulled out a metal badge case, identical to his. "_Selena Stone"_ was engraved inside.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please Rate and Review! Message me if you have any suggestions!**


	2. Chapter 2 Goodbye, Goodbye

'_Why? Why does he have to leave me? I know he's a year older than me and he only stays because I don't want him to leave…but I can't stay here all alone for the rest of my life…'_ Selena bolted up the stairs, not even taking her shoes off and slammed the door to her room.

Selena placed Foxfire down before collapsing on her bed crying. Her Vulpix jumped on her bed, nudging Selena with her head.

"I don't want him to leave…" Selena said into the pillow.

"Vul? Vulpix?" Foxfire asked, lying down beside her new trainer, trying to comfort her. Selena looked up, a spark in her eye.

"Maybe I don't have to stay…" Selena muttered. She got up and strolled over to her desk. Pulling a sheet of paper out of her notebook, she began to write.

"Six Pokèballs to start, no…ten, three potions, one paralyze heal, two antidotes…" she paused and looked at Foxfire.

"Pix?" she asked, glancing at the list.

"Make that three antidotes, I don't want you to get poisoned and have nothing on hand to help you with." Selena finished writing the list and slipped it into her bag. She pulled out another piece of paper and began writing a goodbye note.

'_This way they will at least know where I went, when they find it at least. By then I will be long gone.'_ Once she finished the note, Selena tucked it into her bag for safekeeping.

'_I won't be leaving until tonight; it would be really bad for me if they found the note before I left…'_

Satisfied with her work, Selena picked up Foxfire and went downstairs. After lunch, Selena and Foxfire left for training.

"We'll go into town and buy the supplies now," Selena told Foxfire. "Mom will just think they're for training and won't ask any questions. I'll take care of the rest tonight."

Selena and Foxfire made their way into town, stopping only to enter the PokèMart for the supplies Selena needed.

"So that's ten Pokèballs, three potions, three antidotes, and one paralyze heal?" the shop owner asked.

"Yep! That'll be all sir."

"That comes out to…3400 yen." Selena paid the man, placed the items in her bag and headed out to the field to train. Selena explained to Foxfire all the training they needed and just what it took to survive the harsh journey.

"Now Foxfire, I know we've just became friends, but you'll need to be strong and a good fighter if we're going to make this trip." Foxfire cocked her head.

"Pix," she said, jumping off of Selena's shoulder. She stood tall and puffed out her chest. Selena laughed.

"Yes, I think you're strong now too, but we have to get even stronger, what do you think?"

"Pix. Vulpix," Foxfire replied.

"Let's do it then."

Selena and Foxfire arrived at the field shortly after that. They had only trained for about an hour when none other than Seth spotted them.

Apparently he decided to train after all. The two friends stared at each other silently, neither one had forgotten this morning.

After what seemed like hours, Seth straightened, pushing his glasses up his nose. He sent Selena a charming smile before messing up his hair.

"Wanna battle?" he asked, grinning at the irritated look on her face. Selena blinked, surprised.

"But…Bulbasaur's a grass type and the only Pokémon I have is Foxfire." Seth shook his head, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Yes, but Bulbasaur's not the only Pokémon I have…" Seth flipped the Pokèball he had in his hand. Selena tensed, not sure what to do.

"Don't worry, there's no type advantage for either Pokémon, just to be fair." Seth smile widened as Selena slowly nodded in agreement.

"All right, but let's make this quick," Selena grinned playfully.

"I don't want you to think you have any chance of beating me."

"So one on one battle it is than?" Seth asked.

"Agreed."

"Then, I choose you, Pidgey!" Seth lobbed the Pokèball as hard as he could, a burst of red light shot out, sending a Pidgey flying through the air.

"When did you get a Pidgey?" Selena asked excitedly.

"This morning, while training," He blushed slightly at the adoring look Selena sent him. All traces of the argument from this morning were gone.

"Alright! Foxfire, I choose you!" Selena cried, pointing. Foxfire darted past her trainer and shot a small flame in the air.

"Are you ready?" Seth asked, a little hesitant. Even though they battled with the daycare Pokémon when they were younger, the adults observing and helping occasionally, this was Selena's first real battle. Seth didn't want to go too hard on her.

"I know what you're thinking and don't hold back!" Selena called, snapping Seth back to reality.

"I'll never learn how to battle if everyone babies me!" Seth smiled, pushed his glasses back up his face before ordering his Pokémon to attack.

"Alright then! Pidgey! Quick Attack!" Pidgey spiraled down toward Foxfire, wings folded in. Selena wasn't about to let Seth win that easily.

"Foxfire! Use your Quick Attack! Dodge it!" Foxfire avoided Pidgey easily, attacking him from behind. Seth clinched his teeth.

'_So she does know what she's doing…'_

"Pidgey! Whirlwind!" Pidgey sent a gust of wind toward Foxfire, sending her flying. She landed in the grass a few feet from Selena, dazed but not hurt.

"Foxfire! Use your Ember attack!"

"Nice try Selena," Seth called.

"Pidgey! Dodge it and use Quick Attack!" Selena watched as Pidgey swept past Foxfire's Ember and turned sharply to attack. Selena thought quickly.

"Foxfire! Use Dig!" The little Vulpix dove underground, hidden from Pidgey.

"Be careful Pidgey! It's underground!" Seth called.

"Foxfire! Come out and use your Roar attack!" Selena called, confident in her Pokémon's ability.

Foxfire leapt out of the ground behind Pidgey, and using its Roar, sent Pidgey flying into a tree. Pidgey hit the ground, defeated. Seth was shell-shocked.

"We did it Foxfire!" Selena laughed, holding out a V for Victory. Seth collected his fainted Pokémon and ran over to meet Selena.

"That was great Selena. Where did you learn Dig?" he asked, holding his injured Pidgey. Selena smiled, picking up Foxfire.

"I'll tell you on the way to the Pokémon Center, your Pidgey looks really hurt." Selena leaned closer to Pidgey, and consequently Seth, causing him to blush at her proximity. Selena reached out for Seth's Pokémon.

"I'm sorry Pidgey, we were a little too rough out there," she said, holding Pidgey close. Foxfire leapt onto Serena's bag and peered over her shoulder at Pidgey.

"You both did a really great job," Selena said smiling. Pidgey cooed softly, its bright eyes on Selena. She stopped walking.

"Here, he wants you to carry him." She said, handing Pidgey back to Seth. Once they were at the Pokémon Center and the Pokémon were rested, Selena and Seth sat down at a table together, letting their Pokémon eat.

"I wanted to say…" Selena started, staring at Foxfire eating. Seth looked at her questioningly.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so mean this morning. You worked really hard to earn that badge and I kinda sucked the fun out of it." Seth smiled at her.

"That's okay, I could have handled that better anyway…" his face brightened.

"That reminds me…" Seth opened his bag, shielding the opening from Selena's curious gaze. He pulled out the box.

"This is for you, it's a birthday present." Seth extended the box to Selena, shyly looking away. Selena took the box, examining it.

"It has your name on it so our boxes don't get mixed up. I think if you could beat me so easily, that you should try to get a Cascade Badge as well." Selena's face dropped. Seth noticed and slid closer to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's just that…I don't want to go for that badge yet, I only have Foxfire and I want to get some other Pokémon, from other towns, regions even." Selena sighed sadly.

Suddenly Seth got an idea.

"Let's go," he said, standing. He offered his hand to her. Selena stared at Seth like he had grown a second head.

"What do you mean?" she asked, although excitement was building in her chest; she knew what he meant.

"Let's go on an adventure. What do you say?" Seth asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Selena stared at him a moment longer before grabbing his hand, a smile on her face.

"When?"

"Tonight, at midnight."

"Where shall we meet?" Selena asked, the excitement building in her until she thought she would explode.

"How about the field we train in? I got the map, you bring the food." Seth stopped for a moment, looking thoughtful.

"What?" Selena asked, her heart dropping.

'_He's not going to do it…'_she thought.

Selena had never felt so disappointed, not even when her mom reminded her she couldn't go on an adventure. Somehow it coming from Seth was ten times worse.

Seth looked at her, the most serious look she had ever seen on his face.

"Do you really want to do this?" he asked. Selena thought for a moment; her family would worry…but if her brother could do it, so could she. She took a deep breath.

"I have already examined every part of this trip; I want an adventure so bad…" Selena smiled then blushed uncharacteristically.

"It would mean more to me if you were there…" Seth colored and looked down.

"I…I would, love you travel with you," he stammered, attempting to push his glasses up his nose but only succeeded in knocking them off his face.

Selena laughed at his awkwardness and picked them up off the floor, cleaning them on her shirt before giving them back. Seth smiled sheepishly, and placed the glasses on his still pink face.

"Shall we then?" Selena asked, picking up Foxfire. Seth nodded, returning Pidgey to his ball and leading Bulbasaur and Selena out of the Center. Selena looked up at the clear blue sky, wondering where the journey would take her.


	3. Chapter 3 In the Dark of the Night

**A/N: So they're finally leaving town in this chapter. I know I write long introductions… . Like most writers, I listen to music when I write; it helps me focus. Anyone whose familiar with the Disney movie Anastasia would find it funny that the song that shares the title of this chapter popped up on my I-pod as I was typing. Without farther a due, Chapter 3!**

Late that night, Selena crept out her window ledge, sliding down the support beam. Her mother and father were asleep in the next room, completely unaware of their daughter's intentions.

Selena called softly to Foxfire, who climbed silently down the ledge and onto Selena's shoulder.

She crept through town quietly; it would be trouble if the police caught her out past curfew. When Selena arrived at the field, Seth was already there, bag in tow.

They were both wearing the same clothes from training; Selena had bought a new pair of black and silver gloves to match her jacket and tied her hair back in a low ponytail with a red ribbon identical to Foxfire's.

When Seth, who had never seen her with her hair up, questioned her about it, she said she had to keep the hair out of her face somehow and it would work as a disguise.

The pair of them nodded to each other silently before slipping into the darkness together, heading for Mt. Moon.

Earlier, they had both agreed this was the best route to take, as most trainers went to Lavender Town through the Rock Tunnel or to Saffron City when passing though; it was just too difficult to climb up the ledges.

"No one will think to look here," Seth had said, pointing to the red dot on the map. Selena nodded silently in agreement.

"We'll head to Pewter City, battle Brock for the Boulder Badge, then head though Diglett's Cave to Viridian." Selena had agreed with Seth's plan before he even finished it. Not only was he better at geography than she was, but far cleverer when dealing with humans. She didn't want to get caught because of her own miscalculation.

"Here, let me check our supply level; it would suck if we got lost in that cave and ran out of food." Selena said. She held her hand out for his bag.

Between the two of them they had almost 2300 yen, thirty Pokèballs, seven potions, various status restorers, and twenty assorted berries they had received from Mr. Spencer. Thankfully, he had no idea what they were planning to do.

Selena had all the cooking supplies and food in her bag while Seth had the map, a survival kit, and a small tent incase of rain and they couldn't find a Pokémon Center. Seth sighed and straightened, a serious look on his face.

"I was thinking," he said softly, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"I need to change my appearance too, even if it's something small." Seth reached into his bag and pulled out a pair of scissors from the survival kit. Selena gasped when she saw them.

"Cut your hair?" she asked, reaching out to Seth unexpectedly, making him blush. She grabbed a strand of his hair and tugged softly.

"I hardly think this is something small, Seth," Selena said frowning. Seth offered her the scissors.

"Would you do the honors? And don't worry about it too much, it'll grow back."

Selena stared at the scissors for a moment before accepting them. Taking her time, she cut his once long and slightly tangled black hair until his bangs barely hung above his eyebrows.

Selena stepped back, admiring her work. Seth returned the scissors to the kit before checking his new cut. When he saw it, using the badge box as a mirror, he grinned happily.

"Looks just like Ash's hair, thanks Selena," he said, messing his hair. Selena rolled her eyes at him.

'_Always with Ash, huh?'_ She thought, a little jealous of her friend's idol. Selena sighed, following him into the night.

The pair of them walked for about an hour before reaching the entrance to Mt. Moon. With every step, Selena's excitement grew. Seth grinned at her, his teeth and glasses reflecting the dim moonlight.

"Shall we enter?" Seth asked, peering up the rocky landside.

"It would be far too easy for us to walk over," Selena joked. Seth shoved her playfully before entering the cave. Selena was about to run after him when something pink caught her eye. It sat on a rock face directly above her, waving before it flew off.

"Pix?" Foxfire asked. Selena wondered if she was talking to her or the mysterious shadow. A long tail appeared and disappeared out of her peripheral.

Selena whirled around, trying to catch sight of whatever was flying by but it was gone. Seth poked his head outside of the cave.

"Are you coming or not?" he asked, obviously missing whatever she had seen. Selena walked slowly, still staring at the night sky and wondering what she saw.

Inside, the cave was damp and dimly lit. Small, low powered lights were strung every ten feet, being the only source of light.

Seth said it was for the travelers and Pokémon alike, since the low power kept the wild Pokémon from getting confused, but the light was enough for the humans traveling through to see by.

"So how big is this cave?" Selena asked, examining her surroundings. A couple Zubat flew by their heads and she saw a Paras scratching in the dirt. Seth grinned at her.

"Not as big as most caves in Kanto, the only cave smaller than this is Diglett's Tunnel and it's only a few miles long." Serena glowered at him.

"Thank you Mr. Map, any other fact you'd like to tell me about the Kanto region besides the size of _this_ cave?" she said sarcastically, an irritated look on her face.

"This cave's pretty long and multileveled that's about it…" Seth said, hurt by her sharp words. Selena's face softened a little.

"I'm kidding Seth, although it would be kind of nice to know Mr. Know-it-all…" Seth stared at the ground, although Selena could see a hint of a smile on his face.

His new haircut framed his face better than the old one, she decided. Selena grabbed Seth's hand suddenly, making him jump.

"Oh Seth! The greatest Pokémon trainer and cave navigator in the world!" Selena exclaimed dramatically. Seth blushed a deep red at the compliment, mouth flapping like a Magikarp out of water.

"W…what?" he managed finally, his glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose. Selena dropped to one knee, holding Seth's hand above her head.

"Oh noble cave navigator," she lowered her head.

"Can you please tell me the way out of this cave?" Selena grinned as Seth fumbled with his glasses before catching himself. He glared at her, still a little pink in the face.

"Very funny. Come on, the entrance to the main chamber is up there," he said, pointing to the top of a ladder sticking out of the ground.

Selena swallowed; no one had said anything about heights. Seth reached the ladder first and peered down into the cavern below. He glanced back at Selena, the smile faltering a little from his face.

"I forgot, you're still afraid of heights aren't you Selena?" Seth asked guiltily, holding his hand out to her.

Selena sighed in exasperation; when they were both younger, Seth used to ride his father's Charizard. Seth had asked her if she wanted a ride too, and naturally, she was happy to comply. Once they were high up in the air, Seth asked Charizard to do a flip.

When they were upside down, Selena lost her grip, falling a few dozen feet before Charizard swept in and saved her. She had clung to Seth for about an hour crying. Needless to say, it wasn't a bad reason to hate heights.

Selena stood still for a moment before taking his hand. She suddenly pulled out of his grasp once they reached the ladder.

"I…I can't…" she said. Seth sat down on the ground, thinking. Finally he said, "Well I'm not letting you go back. We're in this together." His eyes brightened.

"I got an idea, wait here." Seth climbed down the creaky old ladder, Selena pacing nervously above him. When his feet hit the cavern floor below him, he called to Bulbasaur.

"Use your Vine Whip to hold Selena steady." He called up to Selena.

"It's alright! Even if you slip, Bulbasaur here will catch you!" Selena walked out of sight for a second, pulling Foxfire off her shoulder.

"Should we do it?" she asked. Foxfire stared at her.

"Pix." Selena sighed.

"I figure you'd say that…here Seth! Have Bulbasaur help Foxfire down first." Selena carefully lowered Foxfire into Bulbasaur's vines. When it was her turn, she hesitated for a moment.

'_I have to do this…how can I expect to become a great Pokémon trainer and find my brother if I let a stupid ladder stop me?'_ Taking a deep breath, she stepped closer to the hole. Bulbasaur wrapped his vines around her waist. Shakily, she lowered her foot onto the first step. When nothing bad happened, she started down, step by step.

Seth watched his friend's progress, before he realized she had a skirt on and averted his gaze, his face coloring.

'_At least she's doing well…'_ he thought, embarrassed. A sharp snapping sound made him look back up. Selena screamed. The ladder had given away under her and only Bulbasaur's vines held her up.

Seth ran underneath her as Bulbasaur brought her down. She clung to Seth as soon as her foot touched the ground, sobbing quietly.

"I…I thought I was…" Selena couldn't finish and buried her face in Seth's shoulder. He looked surprised for a moment, then recovered, squeezing her shoulders softly. Loud, thudding footsteps made the pair of them look up.

Two hikers were making their way over to them.

"Is everyone okay?" the bigger one asked.

"We heard screaming." The shorter of the two was studying the broken ladder with a look of distaste. Selena and Seth stared at him.

"We didn't interrupt something did we?" the bigger hiker asked. Selena and Seth glanced at each other, realizing they were still hugging. The teens blushed violently.

"No! Not at all!" a rather flustered Selena exclaimed, letting Seth loose. He looked a little disappointed.

"You want to join us for a meal?" the shorter hiker asked, speaking for the first time. Selena and Seth looked at each other before nodding, following the two hikers back to their camp.

**A/N: As you can see here, there's romance and awkward situations sprinkled in everywhere. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review and tell me what you think. The sooner you post, the faster I'll write. Usually. :) Until next time!**


	4. Chapter 4 Battles and Bells

**A/N: I know it's been horribly long since I last posted... . and this chapter's kind of short to boot. But I didn't want the story to die. I hope you enjoy!**

"Those ladders are ancient, no wonder it broke on you," the bigger hiker laughed. Selena had learned his name was Ralph.

"So where are you two headed?" Ralph asked. Selena looked at Seth who nodded slightly, indicating it was okay to tell them.

"We're going to Pewter City to battle Brock," Selena said, flinching a little when the hikers gave them a weird look. Kyle, the other hiker, offered her a bowl of stew.

"Getting badges huh? So you two are challenging the Pokémon League," Kyle said. Seth nodded in agreement, excitement in his eyes.

"Me and Kyle here, we battle some but we don't collect badges; too much trouble if you ask me." Ralph emptied his bowl.

"You want to battle?" Selena asked suddenly, causing Seth to choke a little on his stew. Foxfire jumped on Selena's shoulder.

"Are you sure dearie?" Kyle asked, doubtful.

"Foxfire and I can take you," Selena said, confident. Ralph stared at her for a second before laughing.

"All right then, I'll go against you since you only have one Pokémon." Selena and Ralph faced each other. Selena grinned.

"Let's do it."

"One on one then?" Ralph asked.

"Yep. I choose my Vulpix, Foxfire." Ralph unclipped a Pokèball from his belt, holding it up for her to see.

"Then I choose you, Sandshrew!" Ralph threw the ball high in the air. A red beam shot out of the ball, sending a Sandshrew onto the battlefield.

"Sandshrew! Use Poison Sting!" The hiker called. Sandshrew darted forward, shooting small needles at Foxfire. The Vulpix dodged them easily, turning sharply to face her opponent.

"Foxfire! Use Tail Whip!" Selena cried. Foxfire whipped around, sending Sandshrew flying into the cavern wall.

"Good Foxfire! Now use your Ember!" Foxfire ran to Sandshrew, ready to attack.

"Come on Sandshrew!" Ralph called.

"Use your Rapid Spin!" Sandshrew jumped to its feet and began to spin, slowly at first, but then faster; Foxfire's Ember glanced off of Sandshrew, sending small flames flying across the cave like fireflies.

'_Maybe if Foxfire burrows underground…' _Selena clinched her teeth, thinking. Seth yelped behind her; one of the flares landed on his pants and caught fire. The sight of him running around, trying to beat out the flame sent Selena into a fit of giggles.

"Pix!" Foxfire called, reminding Selena of the battle.

"Right. Foxfire! Use Dig! Burrow under Sandshrew!" Ralph smirked.

"Nice try girlie!" he called to Selena.

"That won't work! Sandshrew! Use Rapid Spin! Counter it!" Sandshrew began spinning again, preparing its attack. Selena meanwhile was searching for her Vulpix, trying to think of a way to victory.

'_What can I do? What can Foxfire do?'_ Suddenly, she had it. A confident smile on her face, she said,

"Foxfire! Come up underneath it! Now!" Selena hoped her little Vulpix could hear her. There was no sign of the fox Pokémon until the ground began to crumble under Sandshrew who was still trying to increase its spinning speed.

Foxfire broke through the earth, sending Sandshrew into her freshly dug hole. Sandshrew got stuck, immobilized by the dirt surrounding it.

"No!" Ralph cried, realizing the trick his opponent had in mind.

"Now! Foxfire! Use your Ember attack!" Selena called triumphantly. The Vulpix complied, covering her now helpless opponent in flames; Selena and Foxfire were the winners. Ralph sunk to his knees, defeated.

"That was great battling!" Seth said, greeting Selena and Foxfire. Selena blushed at the complement.

"It's Foxfire that did all the work; I only coached from the sidelines." Ralph returned to the camp, carrying his now recovered Sandshrew.

"Just take the compliment girlie," Ralph said, handing Selena her winnings. Her mouth dropped when she saw the amount.

"1000 yen? I can't…" Ralph held up a hand to silence her.

"You have skills and you deserve it, so be quiet. You can have this too." He handed Selena a small bell.

Gingerly, Selena took it, examining the little silver bell.

"It's a Soothe Bell, you can give it to a Pokémon and it will help that Pokémon become friendlier faster. You may not need it with that one though." Ralph gestured to Selena's Vulpix. Foxfire cocked her head in response.

"I figure there may be a few stubborn Pokémon who have trouble liking you at first. If you want to be a good trainer, you need to form a good bond with your Pokémon. That's what I think anyway." Selena looked at the Soothe Bell, then at Ralph.

"Thank you, I promise to use it."

Seth and Selena said their goodbyes, heading deeper into the cave. Ralph had warned them that there were stronger Pokémon where they where heading.

"Just be careful! And take care of the Vulpix girlie!"

Selena smiled and waved back.

"Don't you worry! I will!" She called.

**A/N: I know, short. Please review and tell me what you think. I hope to post more soon. :)**


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